Ex-Waterville Twp. officer Krego serves 7 months for viewing child porn

Former Waterville Township police officer David Krego, who was convicted of viewing pornographic images of children, was granted early release.

A former Waterville Township police officer convicted of viewing pornographic images of children was granted early release after serving nearly seven months of his one-year prison sentence.

David Krego, 42, told Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Myron Duhart on Tuesday he planned to find work after release, perhaps by starting a woodworking business. The judge responded that he would watch the case closely and ordered Krego be released and serve four years of community control.

Krego pleaded guilty in March to one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony. He admitted that he “did view material, one or more pictures, of minors who were not my children in a state of nudity.”

Authorities said the incident occurred in December, 2010, on a Waterville Township police computer.

“Certainly Mr. Krego, I would hope to think that in the time you have spent incarcerated, you have thought about your actions and the effect that those actions had on those involved,” Judge Duhart said.

Authorities said an investigation was initiated after problems with one of the department’s computers led to maintenance. While working on the computer, they encountered pornographic images of minors.

A patrolman with the department since 1996, Krego voluntarily resigned as part of the plea.

Attorney Jerry Phillips told Judge Duhart that Krego served more than half of his one-year sentence. He noted that Krego had no prior criminal record and was married with three minor children.

At his May sentencing, Judge Duhart notified Krego that he was a classified sex offender and was required to register with the local sheriff’s department annually for 15 years. As part of his community-control sentence, Krego must undergo random drug and alcohol testing.